Stimulated Raman scattering: Ensembles to single molecules

Since its discovery, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) has been an oft-used tool in the spectroscopist’s workbench. Its purview of use has largely spanned the use of the laser itself, and like the laser it has aided experimentalists from physicists and chemists to biologists and engineers in their studies. The SRS technique has helped reveal information on the ultrafast structural dynamics of reactive species, drug uptake across various biological systems, down to tracking single molecules released from bacteria. In this chapter, we present SRS in a historical context highlighting key moments and technological developments. Briefly, we introduce and explore the most-common experimental methods in the field and discuss the spatial scales on which they are applicable.